Pursuit of Concrete Tech Degree Leads to Solid Employment
Joseph Styma heard about the Michigan Works! tuition assistance program and hoped that it could help him. He was interested in pursuing an in-demand occupation which required class room training (concrete technology). Joseph worked with Alpena Michigan Works staff to get Work Keys tested and enroll in the Class Room Training program. In addition, Joseph received supportive services needed to complete his training, such as rental assistance, auto insurance, mileage reimbursement, testing fees, and required clothing for employment. Throughout the course, Joseph continued his internship as well as working at a co-op. With the help he received from Michigan Works!, Joseph was able to obtain his credential after 2 years of training to receive his AAS in Concrete Technology at Alpena Community College. He has now obtained full-time employment at SME in Kalamazoo with a career in his new field.
“Michigan Works! came to class one day telling us about the tuition assistance program. I was interested and after a few easy steps I was qualified to receive assistance. The staff at Michigan Works! was very helpful and I don’t think I could have got through college without them. They paid for my gas and insurance to help me get to class and also paid for my books and tuition, which allowed me to get my entire student loan for living expenses. This allowed me to not have to worry about finding a job so I could concentrate on my studies. The concrete tech program requires an internship and most of the time this is away from home. Michigan Works! paid my rent the entire internship,” says Joseph, thankfully. “I was able to secure a great job as an Engineering Technician at SME in Kalamazoo. This is a great company to work for and they promote from within the company. I hope to continue my education with them and they’ll pay my tuition. I will forever be grateful of the help I got from Michigan Works! to get me to this point and I hope other people take advantage of the great benefits available through this program.”